Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
CHAPTER 1
The Bible is composed of 66 separate books written by thirty or more men in
three different languages: Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. These books range over a
period of 1600 years. These men came from every walk of life, and the majority
of them had no contact with the others. Most of them had no relationship with the
religious organizations of their day.
A book made up of writings of so many authors, living at remotely different
periods of times, under varying circumstances, might be expected to have a
complete lack of unity. Instead, we find a consistent continuity of thought and
a wonderful harmonious unity. There is one great ever-folding theme which
pervades the whole Bible redemption through Christ.
While on the surface there may appear to be discrepancies, upon closer
examination they disappear. What at first seems to be inconsistent, actually
becomes further confirmation of the Bibles amazing accuracy.
The unity consists of many parts that make up the whole, and throughout
the Bible, there is a consistent unfolding of truth. The whole, brought together,
reveals a consistent design, a tapestry of beauty and symmetry. How is all this
accounted for? There is only one rational explanation behind the Bibles sublime
unity the supernatural mind of God.
The books of the Bible are divided into two divisions the Old Testament and
the New Testament. The Old Testament carries the great ever-unfolding theme of
One coming to redeem and help mankind the Son of God. The New Testament
is the written proof or documentation of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the One
who did come. Jesus came to this Earth in the form of a man and gave His life as
a sacrifice to pay for mankinds sin. After three days, He rose from the dead and
ascended into Heaven where He sits at the Fathers right hand. All this was spoken
beforehand and accomplished, so that all men might have eternal life.
the names of the apostles. These were outright forgeries. The New Testament
Apocrypha, by reason of its own internal evidence, has been rejected by every
branch of the Christian church. The most casual examination of its contents shows
that it is only chaff. Many of the incidents recorded represent the crudest attempt
at fiction. For example, one of the apocrypha writings depicts the Boy Jesus as
making birds out of clay. At His command, the clay birds supposedly took wings
and flew away! In another instance, Jesus was accused of killing a youth. To prove
His innocence, He raised the dead boy to life.
On the other hand, there were other writings of the second century that
have real merit. These were written to defend the teachings of Christ and the
apostles against the heretical doctrines being propagated. These writings of the
Early Church Fathers made no claim to inspiration, but drew their proof from the
apostles testimonies.
As time went on, the great superiority of the apostles writings, compared to
anything else, became increasingly apparent. The Early Fathers saw that these
priceless legacies to the Church must not only be protected against adulteration, but
must be preserved for all generations to come. Therefore, after mature deliberation
at specially called church councils, the Early Fathers made the decision that the
New Testament Canon should include only the apostolic writings.
The apostles had been eye-witnesses to the ministry of Christ. They had
received His teaching firsthand and could speak with authority. Paul urged
Timothy to pass on his teaching to others. And the things that you have heard
from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to
teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).
Concerning the matter of the inspiration of Scripture, Christ made two
especially significant remarks. As we have noted, He emphasized that men should
believe all that the prophets have spoken (Luke 24:25) the Old Testament.
Secondly, in His final instructions to the apostles, Christ authorized them to
commit to others the same truths He had given them The New Testament.
Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am
with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
How could the disciples fulfill this command from that time until the end
of the age? How could they fulfill something long after they were gone? They
could only fulfill this command by means of their inspired writings, which in the
providence of God have been preserved in the New Testament to this day.
interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God
spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21).
We see that the testimony of Scripture itself is inspired of God.
Old people, bowed down by the weight of years, find consolation and hope
within its pages. Generals and men of state have testified that they read its pages
daily for inspiration. Lawyers keep a copy on their desk. Millions of devout
Christians make reading a few chapters each day a regular habit.
The Bible is suited for all people, races, classes and sexes. One example of
this is when a great storm arose on the Sea of Galilee, and it threatened to sink the
ship in which Christ and His disciples were sailing. Christ simply said, Peace,
be still, and the sea was calm. These words have soothed doubts and calmed the
minds of multitudes who have read this story. The Bible is like a chart on the sea
of life. Its message satisfies the longing of the human heart.
The Bible is adapted to those of all nations and all ages. Only God could have
given it its marvelous adaptability.
CHAPTER 2
Evolutionists have declared that culture, science and religion have gradually
evolved. Recent explorations of the ancient cities repeatedly show that those
civilizations before Abraham were at their very highest peak, and since then,
there has been a steady decline and degeneration of the arts and sciences in these
countries. For example, the Great Pyramid, built over 4,000 years ago in Egypt,
incorporates scientific knowledge in its construction, which has been rediscovered
only in modern times.
Skeptics considered the stories of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by
fire (Genesis 18:16-33 and Genesis 19:1-29) as mere myths. Recent excavations
of the sites formerly occupied by these cities reveal large quantities of sulphur and
bitumen. These discoveries alone lead us back to some terrible catastrophe of the
past.
The Bible tells of the water of the Jordan River being suddenly cut off, so
the children of Israel, in the days of Joshua, could pass over on dry land (Joshua
3:16). Skeptics declared that such an event was impossible. Yet, in the year 1927,
an upstream landslide left the river bed below dry for several hours!
The Scriptures refer to a strong race of people called the Hittites. Until the end
of the nineteenth century, no record of such a people existed in history. Skeptics
claimed it was another Bible mistake. The archeologists, nevertheless, have since
uncovered indisputable evidence that these people were one of the most powerful
nations of old.
It was the same with Edom, which is mentioned so often in the Old Testament.
Secular history seemed to have forgotten that such a people ever existed. However,
late in the nineteenth century, references to Edom were found on both Egyptian
and Assyrian monuments. Further exploration resulted in Edoms capital city,
Petra, being discovered a city hewn out of solid rock. Today, Petra is one of the
most outstanding attractions in the Bible lands.
Skeptics have claimed that Daniel could not possibly have written the book
which bears his name because of its amazing prophecies that have been so
marvelously fulfilled. They claimed that it was a forgery written after his death.
They overlooked that Daniels prophecies continued to be fulfilled centuries after
the latest date set by the skeptics for it to be written. Indeed, the book of Daniel
even gave the date that the Messiah was to be crucified nearly 500 years before
it happened (Daniel 9:24).
The fifth chapter of Daniel declared that Belshazzar was king when Darius
took Babylon. History records that Naboneders was king of Babylon. Critics point
this out as an example of Bible inaccuracy. Recent archeological discoveries show
that Belshazzar reigned jointly with his father, Naboneders. So once again, the
Bible was proven to be right and the critics wrong.
We could continue to give examples of the remarkable historical accuracy of
the statements made in the Bible. Enough has been said to show that in each case
in which doubt has been expressed by a critic, the work of the archeologist in time
has proven the Bible was right after all.
10
The angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph and informed him that Mary would
bring forth a child by the Holy Spirit, and that He should be called Jesus for He
shall save His people from their sins (Verse 21).
The prophets declared the kind of ministry that Jesus Christ would have.
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me
to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to
proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are
bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of
our God; to comfort all who mourn, (Isaiah 61:1-2).
Jesus Christ, the Lord, was to preach the good tidings of the Gospel, but more
than that, He was to heal the brokenhearted, deliver the captives and recover the
sight of the blind. The Lord, when He came, did just that. He proceeded to prove
the authority of His ministry by performing wonderful miracles. John the Baptist
was a prophet who preached that the Son of God would soon appear. When he sent
disciples to Christ to ask the question, Are you the Coming One, or do we look
for another? Jesus answered saying,
Jesus answered and said to them, Go and tell John the things which you hear
and see: The blind see and the lame walk; the lepers are cleansed and the deaf
hear; the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them
(Matthew 11:4-5).
It was these miracles, signs and wonders Jesus performed which gave Him
such a tremendous following in the three brief years of His ministry.
11
CHAPTER 3
12
Until the invention of the telescope, men supposed that there were only a
few thousand stars in the sky. 100 years ago, they knew there were hundreds
of millions of them. In the last 50 years, they have discovered that for practical
purposes the number of stars is infinite. There are billions of trillions of stars.
4,000 years ago, God spoke to Abraham and said, Look now toward heaven, and
count the stars if you are able to number them So shall your descendants be
(Genesis 15:5). The prophet in Jeremiah 33:22 answered this question by saying,
As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so
will I multiply the descendants of David.
The scientific world of ancient times was ignorant of this fact, but the Bible
knew it to be true. How? The only explanation is that God is its Author.
Science today has a fairly accurate knowledge of the condition of the earths
crust. On the average, for every hundred feet of depth, the temperature increases
one degree. The crust, which is 20 to 50 miles in thickness, is fairly solid. Beyond
the fifty mile depth, matter is plastic, like the iron that flows from a foundry
furnace. It is only in recent times that science has established these facts. The
writer of the book of Job, however, knew that down deep in the earths interior
were the eternal fires.
13
14
CHAPTER 4
15
Daniel, who wrote about 2,500 years ago, was inspired of God. As one writer said,
In the Bible we find true prophecy, and we find it nowhere else.
The most wonderful part of Daniels prophecy is that it foretells a fifth
kingdom yet to come the Kingdom of God which shall endure forever.
And in the days of these [final ten] kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom
which shall never be destroyed, nor shall its sovereignty be left to another people;
but it shall break and crush and consume all these kingdoms and it shall stand
forever (Daniel 2:44 Amplified).
16
The storms and the dust and the timber were now in the midst of the water. The
prophecy was partly, but not wholly fulfilled.
Alexander the Great built a road from the mainland to the island. He gathered
up the stones and the soil and the timber and cast them into the sea. He
marched his legions across on the new roadway that had been built. Soon, the
surrounded city fell.
Today, after 2500 years, another part of Ezekiels prophecy concerning Tyre
has been fulfilled. The prophecy said: It shall be a place for spreading nets in
the midst of the sea and you shall never be rebuilt. Today, the isle of Tyre is
a small, inconsequential city of a few thousand, but the great city of Tyre on the
mainland, destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, has vanished forever. Now, fishermen
on the shores of the ruined city cast out their nets into the sea, just as the prophecy
foretold.
17
18
flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and
you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I
gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your God. Thus says
the Lord GOD: On the day that I cleanse you from all your iniquities, I will also
enable you to dwell in the cities, and the ruins shall be rebuilt. The desolate land
shall be tilled instead of lying desolate in the sight of all who pass by. So they
will say, This land that was desolate has become like the Garden of Eden; and
the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited. Then the
nations which are left all around you shall know that I, the LORD, have rebuilt the
ruined places and planted what was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken it, and I
will do it (Ezekiel 36:24, 26-28, 33-36).
The story of the restoration of Israel to the land of Palestine is a remarkable
one. During World War I, the British war industry ran short of a certain chemical
called acetone. Acetone was essential in the production of vital weapons and
ammunition necessary for Britains success in the war. Officials of the British
government appealed to Dr. Chaim Weizmann, a brilliant Jewish chemist, and
explained their difficulties to him. He accepted the challenge and soon discovered
the solution to the problem. Anticipating a successful conclusion to the great
conflict, the British government asked Dr. Weizmann what honor he would accept
as a reward for his notable contribution to the war effort. He replied by saying
that he did not ask for anything for himself, but expressed a hope that something
might be done for his people, the Jews, who had suffered so much and so long in
the various nations throughout the world.
It came about that Zionist aspirations were given recognition in the Belfour
Declaration on November 2, 1917, which proclaimed that the British government
looked with favor upon Palestine becoming a homeland for the Jews. A little over
a month after this, Jerusalem was in the hands of the British, and the League of
Nations later confirmed the Balfour Declaration. Prior to this decision, a mandate
of the Holy Land was given to Britain, making the way clear for the Jews to begin
immigrating to Palestine.
Immediately, a great change in their country began. Millions of trees were
planted by the new settlers. The waste swamps were drained. By means of hard,
intensive labor, the land was brought back from its desolate state. Roads were
built. Modern machinery was imported. Villages and communal settlements
sprang up in many places. Jewish population increased, and today, it has reached
the two million mark.
The judgments on the children of Israel and their dispersion throughout the
world came to pass as the prophecies declared. Today, after 2,000 years, they
have returned once more to their homeland, as the prophecies also said. How was
19
it possible that the Scriptures could predict so completely and accurately these
events thousands of years in advance? It is only because the prophets spoke by the
power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit of God.
Let us think back upon the day when Christ was crucified. There He hung
between Earth and Heaven a spectacle to men and angels with the tortures
becoming more unendurable every moment. Death by crucifixion includes the
total of all the suffering a body can experience: thirst, fever, open shame, long,
continual torment.
It was now the noon hour, ordinarily the brightest hour of the day. Instead,
darkness came over the earth. Nature itself, unable to bear the scene, withdrew its
light, and the Heavens became black. This darkness had an immediate effect upon
the onlookers. There were no more jeers and taunts. People began to silently slip
away, leaving Jesus alone to drink to the deepest depths the dregs that suffering
and humiliation had to offer. Still, a greater horror was coming. Instead, of a
joyful communion with God, there was a cry of distress. Jesus found Himself
20
utterly deserted by both man and God. Even today, His cry brings a shudder of
terror. It was
My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46)
Apparently, there was one thing God had held back from his Son, Christ, lest
even He should be unable to bear it. This terrible truth came to Him in the last
hours of darkness. As the sun withdrew from shining, the Presence of God was
also being withdrawn. Though sometimes forsaken of men, He could always turn
in confidence to His Heavenly Father. Now, even God had forsaken Him.
God indeed had forsaken him, though only for a moment. The reason is clear:
at that moment, the sin of the world with all its hideousness rested upon Jesus.
He became sin, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we
might become the righteousness of God in Him (II Corinthians 5:21).
In this scripture, we find the answer to what happened. Christ was made sin
for us. He took upon Him the sin of the whole world, which included yours and
mine. Therefore, He had to receive the judgment for sin.
Now, at last, the end was drawing near. The loss of blood produces a thirst
beyond description. Jesus cried, I thirst. The One who hung on the cross thirsted.
He is the same One who now satisfies our souls thirst If anyone thirsts, let him
come to Me and drink (John 7:37).
The final moment had come. Jesus bowed His head in death, saying as He
died, It is finished! Salvation had been completed. It was a salvation, not earned
by works of fasting, confessing penances or going on pilgrimages. Salvation is a
finished work, and its finished forever. It is not necessary to complete it by using
our own efforts. There is nothing more to do, but to accept it. There is no need to
struggle or to labor for it, but receive quietly what God has prepared, an infinite
sacrifice.
Did Christ die for our salvation? He did! Was He raised again three days
and nights later in glorious triumph to die no more? He was! Therefore, He says,
BECAUSE I LIVE, YOU WILL LIVE ALSO (John 14:19).
God has done all that is possible to bring you eternal life. He paid the full
price of punishment for your sins. It is now your turn to accept Him. God sees
your mind and soul. He knows all of your thoughts. If you sincerely want to
accept Jesus Christ, the Son of God, into your life, you will be reborn. You will
become a child of God, and God the Father will become your Father.
21
22
Now, if you will pray this prayer, it will help you to receive Jesus Christ into your
soul and life:
Dear Heavenly Father,
have loved me.
I thank You that You love me.
And, Father, show me step by step the
I ask Your Son Jesus Christ to come into
plan You made for my life.
my life.
I give You myself and my life.
I know I have sinned and committed I worship and praise You, my Creator
deeds unpleasing to You.
and Lord.
I ask You now to forgive me of these
I will continually thank You for
sins and to cleanse my life.
sacrificing Your Son on the cross that I
Help me to follow You and Your
might have eternal life with You
teachings.
Help me to win others to Christ.
Protect me from Satan and evil.
I await the return of Christ to take me to
Teach me to put You first in all my
Heaven.
thoughts and actions.
Help me to love my fellow man, as You
Come soon, Lord Jesus. Amen
23
24
25
26